...Identity Theft Abstract This research paper will examine what is known about identity theft. The paper begins with defining the crime and its background, followed by a review of the patterns and incidences of identity theft. This review will include data on the extent and costs of this crime. Discussion will then focus on victims and perpetrators of identity theft. Common techniques used by identity thieves will be explored along with tips to protect consumers and businesses from having their identities stolen or data breached. Legislation in place to prevent and prosecute identity theft will be discussed. How to report identity theft is also explained. Defining Identity Theft The U.S. Department of Justice defines identity theft, also called identity fraud, as “all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain” (U.S. Department of Justice, 2015). Identity thieves use personal data such as Social Security numbers, bank account or credit card numbers to personally profit at the victim’s expense. These breaches allow thieves to take funds out of bank accounts or in the worst cases, take over a victim’s identity completely, running up huge debts and committing crimes using the victim’s name. Victims not only suffer the out-of-pocket financial losses, but they may have to rebuild their reputation in the community due...
Words: 4583 - Pages: 19
...been a victim of identity theft. What is identity theft you ask? It is a form of fraud or cheating of another person's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name. According to the national association of the attorneys general, “Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation with an estimated 700,000 victims each year and after the victim discovers their theft, they spend an average of 808 dollars to clear up the discrepancies along with 175 hours approx. Restoring their reputation by means of notifying the credit bureaus, cancelling cards, and negotiating with creditors (2006.) Currently those numbers are now even higher at 1,495 dollars in expenses and 609 hours to clean up credit”. Identity theft happens all the time. This is partly caused because of who you trust and what you put on the internet. In the paragraphs to come we will get into the types and stages of identity theft, who it affects and how you can protect yourself. According to the NIJ (National Institute of Justice), there are seven broad types of identity theft and three stages. The Seven stages are exploiting weakness in specific technologies and information system, financial scams, a motive for other crimes, facilitating other crimes, avoiding arrest, repeat victimization (“classic” identity theft), and organized identity theft. The three stages...
Words: 1118 - Pages: 5
...How are identity thieves operating to get your identity and what can they do with it? First it is important to know what identity theft is and then understand the way thieves manage to steal your identity. It’s a crime that happens when “someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.” (Identity Theft, The United States Department of Justice), in other words: when someone uses other one’s identity to take advantage of it without any liability on his or her name. On the other hand there are various ways in which people can access to your valuable information, sometimes they are simple techniques and other times more sophisticated methods. The statistics on identity thefts, and also what is being done to prevent it, are two significant factors to be analyzed and see how secure we are now days. Identity theft is not a recent phenomenon, it has been happening for a long time but not at the same level as now. In the 1930’s when alcohol was legalized again, underage people wanted to consume alcohol and created “fake ID’s” that we still see today. Of course this was not the only use for these fake documents. Later on the purpose of having a fake ID’s wasn’t just for buying alcohol, but also for creating other fake documents such as migratory documents (passports and residence permits). The immigration laws were the cause of innumerable people trying to fake documents so they could stay...
Words: 852 - Pages: 4
...Abstract The Federal Trade Commission considers identity theft to be the fastest growing crime in the country. The Internet has become a hot zone for attracting identity theft thieves to steal personal information. Identity theft is divided into four basic areas – financial identity theft, criminal identity theft, identity cloning and business and commercial identity theft. Criminals obtain our personal information through methods such as using an insider, dumpster diving, computer hacking, war driving, phishing and pre-texting. The Department of Justice prosecutes identity theft under federal statutes. Congress passed the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, Title 18 United States Code 1028 in 1998. One of the most noted identity theft cases was USA v. Cummings. The largest hacking and identity theft case ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice involved eleven people who stole more than forty million credit and debit card numbers. To severely curtail on identity theft, President Bush mandated Executive Order 13402 called the Identity Theft Task Force. Identity theft causes immeasurable damage to peoples’ names and reputations. Greater awareness and education will help us to combat identity theft. Identity Theft It’s a nightmare that can leave an unsuspecting person feeling violated and vulnerable. It doesn’t care who you are or where you live. Gender, race and age are totally irrelevant. In this modern technological age, it is a crime that can realistically...
Words: 2466 - Pages: 10
...individuals and institutions, but it also damages the consumer confidence of valid Internet businesses and e-commerce. There are many forms of Internet fraud which Internet patrons need to be aware of and cognizant of. This paper will explore major classifications of Internet fraud, provide information on how to deal with Internet fraud, relay actions taken by the government to thwart Internet fraud and prosecution thereof, and also take a detailed look into one type of Internet fraud especially, identity theft. According to the Department of Justice (http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/text/Internet.htm), Internet fraud is any type of criminal scheme that uses one or more components of the Internet to present fraudulent solicitations to prospective victims, to conduct fraudulent transactions or to transmit the proceeds of fraud to financial institutions. Major types include; online action and retail scams, business opportunities or work-at-home scams, investment schemes, phishing, and identity theft and fraud. Seventy-five percent of fraudulent parties contact their victims via web-sites, while the remaining twenty-five percent contact their victims via e-mail correspondence as reported by the National Consumers League’s National Fraud Information Center/Internet Fraud Watch program, Internet Scam Fraud Trends...
Words: 3658 - Pages: 15
...inside a safe. Always monitor the bank statement and etc. Checking the mail for missing account statements is another way to protect from identity theft and fraud. If someone going on vacation that person should ask the post office to hold all their mail until that person came back, to prevent identity theft and frauds. People should invest in a shredder to shred unwanted information. Use a secure website to access information, never enclose personal information by the phone. Check bank statement and credit card statement very careful each month to see any unwanted purchase. If that person sees any unwanted purchase notices their credit card immediately. Thesis: One day you receive a call from your bank, stating you had just made a purchase for a random estimate of 5,000 dollars. But you did not go on a shopping spree. Your identity just has stolen. How secure is your identity? Do you ever wonder about your identity? Ways to prevent/protect yourself from identity theft and frauds. I. One thing you should be aware about is your bank account. A. Once your ATM has been compromises change your pin right away. B. Get new ATM cards if it has been compromised. C. Contact the bank if you see any suspense in your bank account. I. Another way is keeping your social security secure in a safe. A. Do not write your Social Security card piece of paper. B. Do not give out your personal information to strangers. II. Monitoring your Credit Card Statements ...
Words: 2515 - Pages: 11
...IDENTITY THEFT PENALTY ENHANCEMENT ACT Name Course School Date Introduction The Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act is an amendment to Title 18 of the United States Code. The Act was brought in to define and establish penalties for aggravated identity theft. It is also an enhancement of the definitions of identity theft found in the provisions of Title 18 (Congress.gov, 2004) (Finklea, 2014). Identity theft is an issue that has affected the nation for many years. Advances in technology have made it possible for many people to have access to the tools and resources needed to forge documents which are a critical part of identity theft. The most common form of identity theft is associated with credit card fraud. Credit card fraud on the internet has substantially increased due to the opportunities present in the Internet environment. However, this represents some of the simplest forms of identity fraud. Such is the case since it is very easy to discover credit card fraud by both the credit card company and the victim as well. However, according to the Federal Trade Commission (2002), other forms of identity theft are more severe since they take a longer time to materialize (Federal Trade Commission, 2002) This view is also by Finklea (2014) in his article where he points out the issues and trends of identity theft. The Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act comes in the context of increased awareness of the difficulties posed by emergent technologies. So far, identity...
Words: 5460 - Pages: 22
...Identity Theft: Fastest Growing Crime Tracy A. Baggett DeVry University Keller Graduate School of Management Identity Theft; Fastest Growing Crime Imagine waking up to news that you had accumulated hundreds of thousands in debt after someone used your identity for unauthorized purchases. This is exactly what happened to John Harrison, a Connecticut salesman. Jerry Phillips, the twenty year old who stole John Harrison’s identity went on a shopping spree that included purchases to Home Depot, JC Penny, Sears, Lowes and even bought two cars from Ford, a Kawasaki and a Harley. In just four months Jerry Phillips was able to accumulate $ 265,000 in purchases. Jerry Phillips was later arrested and imprisoned for three years. He even went as far as to apologize to John Harrison saying, “Sorry. You know, I wish I could make it up to you.” John Harrison felt that the nightmare was over with the criminal behind bars and even verbally acknowledging his regret over the crime. But despite all of this and a letter from the Justice Department confirming that John Harrison was a victim, he still found himself owing $140,000 to different creditors. How about waking up in the middle of the night realizing that federal agents just entered your home with guns pointed certainly qualifies as one of the most horrifying ordeals in anyone’s life. This is exactly what happened to Carlos Gomez, a UPS driver accused of being involved in a million dollar money laundering operation headed by a Wachovia...
Words: 3754 - Pages: 16
...data of a person’s identity. If mishandled, this information can result in identity theft. There have been millions of consumers who have had their identity compromised from misuse or lost PII. To adequately protect PII, one must understand what it is. PII is information that can distinguish or trace a person identity. A few examples such as, a person’s Social Security number, age, home and office phone numbers are forms of PII. While the Social Security card is a distinctive document linking a person’s name and Social Security number, when associated with other forms of PII, as previously mentioned, it creates a high risk to the individual and eventually can lead to identity theft (Department of Defense, 2012). To assist consumers with identity theft government officials have established a Task Force and initiated several Acts to protect consumers. End Personal Identifiable Information in Today’s Age Information in today’s age is becoming easily accessible to many people. The Internet is just one resource that can provide information about a person. Internet search engines, such as Google provide a wealth of information, if used properly about a person. It is vital for the public and private sector to be aware and protect critical information from unwanted hands, if used illegally can cause damage to person’s identity. Besides search engines, social networks are becoming popular sites for thieves to gather information on a person. Individuals on social sites are unaware of...
Words: 953 - Pages: 4
...Digital Computer Crimes Byron Hill Information Technology in Criminal Justice CIS 170 Professor Basta April 20, 2016 Computer crime is usually a term referring to fraud, embezzlement, and manipulation. According to the Department of Justice’s Criminal Justice Resource Manual, computer crime is “any illegal act for which knowledge of computer technology is essential for successful prosecution” (Computer Crimes, 2015). There are many types of computer crimes but the four main ones consist of: Internal computer crimes (viruses), telecommunications crimes (hacking), computer manipulation crimes (embezzlement & fraud), and traditional theft of hardware and software. The most common forms of digital crime are theft, identity theft, hacking, stalking, and malicious files and software (Laura, 2015). These crimes are called Cyber Crimes. They are on the rise due to the fact that people today take care of all their business online. Individuals are always on the go so using their smart devices is a normal for handling personal, financial, and other business. Theft occurs a lot online when individuals infringe upon another’s person copyrighted materials. Individuals steal the material and sell it as their own without the permission of the owner (Laura, 2015). Identity theft is one of the most horrific types of Cyber Crimes. Through identity theft, victims face financial losses and gain a ruined reputation. If the criminal is good, they are able to access an individual’s...
Words: 1061 - Pages: 5
...Identity Theft David Arcila Professor Jim Manning White Collar Crime 08/14/13 “But he that filches from me my good name, robs me of that which not enriches him, and makes me poor indeed.” – Shakespeare, Othello, act III. Sc. 3. “Once in a time before identity theft was a federal crime, there was a particular case where a convicted felon stole more than $100,000 of credit card debt, motorcycles, federal home loans, houses, and handguns in the victim’s name.” (Knox, Jeffrey) “He also called his victim to taunt him and let him know that he could do this as long as he wanted to because identity theft was not a federal offense yet.” (Knox, Jeffrey) “Both the victim and his wife spent more than four years and more than $15,000 trying to repair their reputation and credit.” (Knox, Jeffrey) “As for the criminal, the offender served a small prison sentence for trying to buy the firearm but other than that made no repayments to the couple for the damage he caused.” (Knox, Jeffrey) “This was one of the many cases that made Congress decide to implement a new federal law in 1998 against identity theft.” (Knox, Jeffrey) Identity theft is a type of crime where someone’s identity is stolen in order to pretend to be the victim’s identity. “Many times the offender obtains valuable resources such as credit card and debit card information or social security numbers in order to gain economic through deception or fraud...
Words: 2364 - Pages: 10
...card applications you get in the mail. 5. Keep your personal information (such as social security number and bank accounts) secret even from friends and relatives. 6. Use a cross-cut shredder to shred papers with personal numbers or passwords on them. 7. Check your bank statements regularly for false charges. 8. When you deposit or cash a check, don’t write your account number on it. 9. Protect your computer with security software, such as firewalls and anti-spyware. 10. Never put personal information (such as social security...
Words: 392 - Pages: 2
...Identity theft is the crime of using someone else's personal information for self-gain. According to an article in USA Today, identity theft is surpassing traditional theft and is becoming the leading form of property crime (Anderson). The Federal Trade Commission estimates that more than 9 million individuals are victims of identity theft each year. The Justice Department puts the figure at more than 3.5 million households (Anderson). Anyone can become a victim of identity theft and it is not limited to the financial activities of one’s life. People’s identity is also stolen in order to commit criminal activities. Both activities are defined as fraud and are punishable by law if caught. Financial identity theft or fraud includes bank fraud, credit card fraud, computer and telecommunications fraud, social program fraud, tax refund fraud, and mail fraud. In fact, a total of 25 types of financial identity fraud are listed and investigated by the United States Secret Service (Obringer). In 1997, Secret Service agents made approximately 10,000 financial crime arrests which 94 percent involved identity theft (Obringer). Fifteen years later, Javelin Strategy & Research reports that over 12 million financial identity theft cases were reported (Javelin Strategy & Research). Other types of identity theft usually involve financial elements as well but are typically committed to fund some sort of criminal enterprise. Criminal activities include gaining...
Words: 752 - Pages: 4
...Identity is yours and only yours “But he that filches from me my good name/Robs me of what not enriches him and makes me poor indeed” --- Shakespeare Crimes are not always on the rise; with tough and stringent laws and hard work of excellent law enforcement agencies the rate of crime can always be controlled. For example the crime rate in the New York City went down considerably in the beginning of this decade, with the introduction of new policies by the new government. There is one type of crime, which has consistently grown every year in the last decade, and also has been the fastest growing crime. It is a neither gun crimes nor the use and abuse of certain drug; it is identity theft. When searched for fastest growing crime on google.com the unanimous answer turned out to be identity theft. This crime basically proves that there is no doubt in the fact that there is something going wrong when dealing with identity theft. It seems like there is a piece of the puzzle which is missing. The main focus of this paper is to put some light on the issues concerning with identity theft, how it takes place in various manners and what are the current laws in place to act against identity theft. The role of credit card companies to deal with identity theft is also mentioned. Identity theft and identity fraud are words used to refer to all degrees of crime in which someone wrong fully acquires and exploit individual private information in numerous ways that engage scam or trickery...
Words: 1086 - Pages: 5
...How Identity Theft Affect the Culture of our Society Sections I, II, III and IV Rodrekus Baskin DeVry University How Identity Fraud and Theft Impact the Culture of Our Society Section I Identity theft affects millions of Americans every day. Scam artists and hackers lay in wait for an unsuspecting person to get caught up their scheme through ignorance or naivety so they can take full advantage of their personal information to do as they desire with it. Problem is, it infiltrates and depreciates the integral infrastructure of our society which creates a cultural lapse through the declination of economic and cultural growth and double jeopardizes an already unstable system to the brink of its destruction. To understand how identity theft works or happens, one need to know and understand what identity theft is, the different forms of identity theft, cyber security and the impact on its victims, the methods used by identity thieves to obtain identifying information about their victims, and preventive solutions. How Identity Theft Affect the Culture of Our Society A single mother looking forward to advancing her financial situation comes across what appears to be the opportunity she has been waiting for. A real estate agent has provided her with the fortune of owning her own home and without skepticism of any impending dangers or foul play, even though he displayed what appeared to be proper credentials, she relinquished all of her personal data...
Words: 5785 - Pages: 24
